Raptors Fall to Cavaliers in Game 2, Trail 0-2 Heading Back to Toronto

The Toronto Raptors are digging into a hole even further after losing 115-105 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 at Rocket Arena on Monday night.

The Raptors struggled to get into a rhythm on offence early, but had chances to topple the Cavaliers throughout the game. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to land on top as they now trail 2-0 in the best of seven series with the Cavs.

Here are three takeaways from Game 2 between the Raptors and Cavaliers:

Jakob Poeltl Benched

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl drives to the basket. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The most glaring adjustment from head coach Darko Rajakovic was the limited usage of Jakob Poeltl, who saw just nine minutes of action. While Poeltl is the traditional anchor of the defence, the Cavaliers’ frontcourt mobility, led by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, turned the Raptors’ primary rim protector into a liability on switches.

Poeltl struggled in Game 1 and got swallowed again in the first half, forcing the Raptors to make a change. This forced Toronto to lean heavily on Sandro Mamukelashvili off the bench, who provided a spark with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes.

Rajakovic’s willingness to shelf his starting center suggests a permanent shift toward a small ball approach as the series returns to Toronto, prioritizing lateral speed over traditional size to contain Cleveland’s pick-and-roll.

Brandon Ingram Struggles Again

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram goes to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. | David Dermer-Imagn Images

Brandon Ingram’s transition into the Raptors' system continues to hit postseason turbulence. Finishing with just seven points on a dismal 3 of 15 shooting performance, Ingram struggled to navigate the length of Mobley and the perimeter pressure of James Harden.

More concerning than the shooting percentage was the shot selection; Ingram often settled for contested mid-range jumpers early in the shot clock rather than utilizing RJ Barrett or Scottie Barnes to collapse the defense.

For the Raptors to claw back into this series, they must find a way to get Ingram to the free-throw line, where he had zero attempts in Game 2, to help him establish a rhythm before the game slips away.

3-Point Woes

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram warms up before game one of the first round. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While the Raptors outshot the Cavaliers from the floor overall (51 per cent to 53 per cent), the game was lost beyond the arc. Toronto converted just 7 of 26 of their long-range attempts, far different from Cleveland’s 13 triples.

In a 10-point game, getting outscored by 30 from the 3-point line is an easy way to lose.

This discrepancy created a math problem that the Raptors couldn't solve with two-point buckets alone. The lack of spacing allowed the Cavs to pack the paint, effectively neutralizing Scottie Barnes’ ability to play-make from the post.

Without a breakout performance from shooters like Ja'Kobe Walter in Game 3, the Raptors risk being knocked out of the playoffs by a Cleveland team that is simply generating more high-value possessions.

What's Next For Raptors?

The Raptors will head home to Scotiabank Arena for Game 3 of the series on Thursday. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet or stream it on Amazon Prime Video.

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